Today’s Scripture Reading (January
28, 2014): Nahum 1
There is a
story (and it is likely no more than a story) that Duke Wenceslas (posthumously
declared as King Wenceslas) of the Kingdom of Bohemia rose each night and in
his bare feet gave food to the poor. The story arose after Wenceslas’ assassination,
most likely at the hands of his brother who succeeded him as the ruler of
Bohemia. But the story was also legitimized by the Catholic Church who has
declared that the story is true. This story, among others, led to the
characterization of Wenceslas as a righteous king. According to the stories of
Wenceslas, the duke sacrificed himself for his people. After his assassination
in 935 C.E., Wenceslas was immediately given the title of Saint Wenceslas
because in a day when it was widely believed that those who were powerful
deserved to be powerful and those who were poor deserved to be poor, Wenceslas
decided to cross the line, giving of himself so that others could live. He
became a type of Christ.
For part of
the Christian Church, we place a lot of emphasis on our belief in the justice
and righteousness of God. And it deserves the emphasis – God is both a
righteous God – he is the model for the righteous king – and he is a just king.
And using passages like this one in the opening of Nahum, we are quickly
reminded that although we serve a God of mercy and love, he is not of infinite
patience. The time will come when God’s just and righteous nature will punish
those who are guilty.
And an
example of this line is in the story of Nineveh. The story of Jonah is about
God’s call to the prophet Jonah to go to Ninevah and tell them of God’s
judgment on the city. Jonah does not want to go because he is afraid that God’s
mercy will let the city off of the hook – which is exactly what happens at the
end of Jonah’s story. And yet, years later Nahum has a very similar complaint
against the city – and once again God’s justice is about to be visited on the
city. From our end of history, we know that Ninevah was destroyed – possibly
proving once and for all the limits to the patience of God.
But as
Christian’s we also have another story that stands in tension with this story
of a just God. This story is of a righteous king that paid the penalty that we
deserved for our sin - of the king that crossed the line that no one else was
willing to cross so that we would not have to face the justice of God.
Admittedly, it is a strange story – one that is almost impossible for us to
understand. But then again, it is also hard for us to understand a ruler that
rises from bed to take care of the poor when he could have simply delegated
that task to someone else and still be considered good. And so we live inside
of that tension – between a just God who will not leave evil unpunished, and a
merciful God who has taken that punishment on himself.
The tension
is real – and it is supposed to be there. Because it is in that tension that we
realize how much God paid for our freedom – and how wide the mercy of our God
really is. The answer to the question – will there be a judgment is definitely
yes. But part of the price of that judgment has already been pain on a cross
just outside the city of Jerusalem almost 2000 years ago. And that is something
that we can never forget.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Nahum 2
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